SAD lamps have hit the market for people who suffer from winter depression or Seasonal Affective Disorder, and they’ve been flying off the shelves as autumn sets in. Researchers have claimed in the past that certain studies suggest that people are more prone to become depressive when there’s bad weather, and SAD lamps are an alternative to fight that.
Winter depression is a well known branch of SAD. Since fall and winter months are more overcast and days are shorter, less exposure to sunlight means less energy, and cold temperatures force the body to put in more effort to remaining warm. All in all, there’s a significant energy drain that affects happy enzymes like serotonin.
A SAD lamp provides 10,000 lux, making it similar to a tanning lamp sans the UV rays, and some people use it during the winter months to treat winter depression or when it gets dark for an extended period of time. The lamps give out vitamin D and make the body think it’s day time, therefore becoming energized. Light therapy is common to treat a wide slew of conditions, and winter depression is the most prominent now as the winter months approach and temperatures start to drop.
